The latest, and perhaps most subtle, commentary...

The latest, and perhaps most subtle, commentary on the gridlock wars of Southern California is a Los Angeles City-issue “2-Hour Parking” sign that someone has replanted--along the eastbound on-ramp of the Santa Monica Freeway at Centinela Boulevard.

Perhaps there’s a revenue-raising idea here.

As the morning jam-up worsens behind the metered on-ramps, the city could take the prankster one step further and install parking meters in the lanes.

Rather than complaining about the traffic, Brian Roberts and Richard Schwadel scheme to avoid all 504 miles of freeway in Los Angeles County.

They’ve compiled their tips into “L.A. Shortcuts,” a $14.95 compendium of zigs, zags, dots, dashes, loops, jogs, dog-legs, detours and occasional bursts through mini-mart parking lots.

Their 90 secret routes feature such forgotten alternates as Alameda Boulevard (instead of the Harbor Freeway), La Cienega Boulevard (as an access route to Los Angeles International Airport from the north), and the old Franklin Avenue-Serrano Avenue-Los Feliz Boulevard-Glendale Avenue route from Hollywood to Glendale.

The authors also offer such general tips as “if it’s wide enough, drive it” (alleys, driveways, parking lots, etc.), “don’t mess with the pros” (truck and bus drivers use company-owned vehicles, they point out) and “respect the locals” in residential areas or you may be ambushed with rotten leftovers.

A few years ago, when Vincent Rogers visited his son, Michael, a Hollywood musician, the elder Rogers was amused to see that Michael had purchased a 1948 Packard.

“Can’t you afford a new car?” the father needled him. Then he mentioned that he’d once owned a 1948 Packard himself. That got them to talking.

Vince Rogers remembered that he’d had some repair work done on the right fender. The son’s Packard bore similar marks. When Vincent went home, he checked his records and found that the engine number on his old Packard (which he sold in 1950) matched that of Michael’s.

“My Dad has since passed away,” Michael Rogers said. “But I’m just glad that I had this (accompanying) photo made.”

Get me to the slide on time . . .

John Saffelo, 23, and Clara Deets, 20, are scheduled to be married this morning in the Bermuda Triangle attraction at the Raging Waters park in San Dimas.

Out of mind, but not out of sight . . .

Assemblyman Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica) took a female companion to see the film “When Harry Met Sally . . .” in Westwood the other day. And what happened? Not only does Carrie Fisher make a reference in the movie to Jane Fonda, Hayden’s estranged wife, but the theater also showed a preview of “Old Gringo,” featuring actor Jimmy Smits in bed with Fonda.